Swarms

Supertodd · Post by **Supertodd** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:36 pm

How does the game handle the effects of a swarm of creatures on a character, specifically insects and rats? If a villain could summon a swarm of rats to overcome a hero, how would it be bought? Or if the swarm just happened in nature (say a hero knocked over a hive of angry bees or hornets), what's the effect in game terms?

If this is covered in an existing publication, please let me know. Thanks for the help!

MrJupiter · Post by **MrJupiter** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 2:58 pm

I wonder if a swarm could be handled as a form of Minions? Maybe each grouping or swarm of rat or bugs could be given a collective stat (sort of like the Zombie Horde on page 73). While each grouping of the pest might not be a large threat to a hero, multiple swarms would be.

Supertodd · Post by **Supertodd** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 4:12 pm

It would be nice to get an official ruling before my game on Sunday, March 23!

Baelor · Post by **Baelor** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 7:28 pm

I would think in terms of the effect[s] you want to produce, and adjust size wise for the size of the gestalt, rather than the individual creature.

That way you can build a 'base' model the same way you do a character, and up the size as necessary for the size an durability of swarm that you want. Damage field - anybody who touches the swarm takes the damage, possibly combined with Immobilization, to reflect being 'swarmed' as it were. Continual damage might work to represent pain and damage from a thousand wasp stings or what-have-you. The bonus to Defense from Danger Sense could reflect the all around perception and the semi-solid nature of it, maybe even limted with 'not vs. area attacks'.

Advantages and disadvantages can do a lot to personify the 'swarm' too. Non-sentience, Fearless, Frightening Presence, Never Surrender, Unliving [in the case of nanobots, etc.] Outsider, Freak, all seem to fit readily. A susceptibility can be used to give the swarm an 'Achilles heel' like wind or area attacks disrupting its cohesion, or a Damaging Weakness for something that really messes it up [say, cold attacks vs,. but swarms].

With Instant Change, Normal, and possibly Involuntary Change, you could even create a person who becomes a swarm.

Swarms might be doable through Summoning, I haven't tried. But a high Summon could give you good stats for it, and enough power points for at least a couple of powers. My guess is that, to do them justice as real threats, with all of the powers they would need, they would need to be full builds. Then just minion-ize them with lesser Hits to reflect the toughness you want.

My two cents, anyway.

MrJupiter · Post by **MrJupiter** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 11:29 am

Baelor, building a swarm as a character is a great idea. Minion-izing the build for multiple, lessor threats is closer to what I was envisioning, but the full-on character concept is fantastic!

Post by **BASHMAN** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:30 pm

In the Minions section there are rules for doing Mobs. Page 71 of the 2nd printing.

A mob counts as a single minion.
To make a mob, give any minion +1 Agility (they are much
harder to avoid), +20 Hits (to a maximum of 50), increase
Size by 3. They are not especially fast, but mobs are good at
using their mass to grab opponents. Once an opponent is held,
the mob automatically hits with a regular attack each page the
victim remains held.

For larger crowds, it is possible for multiple mobs to
attack together using the gang rules!

So if you want a NASTY swarm of rats, you can do several mobs of rats, attacking all at once using the gang rules.

Another easy way is just use "Damage Field" as the base power. So a swarm of rats might be Damage Field 1 [Movable] (everyone standing in the area takes x1 damage each page).

The Damage Field might have a limitation that it can be "turned off" by the Heroes doing something that would scatter / kill the rats. So a fireball in the area, or a huge noisy high-pitched sound, etc. might just "turn off" the damage field effect.

Baelor · Post by **Baelor** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:32 pm

Thanks Mr. Jupiter.

As a test of concept, here is a swarm of thousands of tiny spiders:

B 2 Soak x2+10
A 3 Defense -2x5/ Attack x3
M 1
Move 9 Priority x5 Mental Defense x1
Hits: 100; or whatever the GM decides for a minion level threat

• Size 2: covers a 10 foot square of ground (2 points) More size if you want a huger swarm [size 5 would be terrifying].
• Danger Sense: [if Spiderman is to be believed anyway] (2 points); this also reflects the fact that many attacks would hit only a few out of the thousands of spiders, doing negligible damage. Possible limitation – does not work vs. area affect attacks (-1 point).
• Continual Damage 2 to 5: depending on level of the Heroes. This is a combination of the ongoing venom effects, and dozens of spiders crawling over the target even after it moves away. (3 to 5 points)
• Clinging (1 point)

Total Points = 18 to 25, less reduction of -1 per 10 Hits below 60.

Options:
1. Ghost form 2: the swarm could disperse into a larger body that is all but impervious to physical harm, and would allow it to slowly infiltrate closed spaces [through air ducts, under doors, etc.], but would not be able to pass through air tight barriers, or bug screens – for that the swarm needs to reform and push the flimsy screen down [with x2+10 for damage, a bug screen is short work]. In Ghost Form, the swarm might also manage Invisibility 1, hiding in crawlspaces, nooks and crannies until they move and reform.
2. Extra Limbs: not reflecting the fact that the crawlies have lots of them, but that multiple limbs composed of hundreds of spiders could act in concert, even grappling together. If what you want is more attacks, Take Swift Strike, but this may not be in the strict spirit of the Intense Training power suite.
3. Senses: Infrared vision or Ultraviolet vision might be appropriate.
4. For a wasp swarm, Flying is obvious, and perhaps damage field instead of Continual Damage.
5. The Immortal Advantage could be used to represent an intellect that lives through a swarm but can survive its destruction to arise again when conditions are right, or enough of the swarm component critters are available.

Skills:
Athletics/ Climbing, Stealth +1/ Hiding, Outdoors/ Survival

Advantages:
Fearless, Frightening Presence, Non-Sentience

Disadvantages:
Freak, Outsider, Susceptible: -3 A, area attacks; Unskilled works too, but is sort of covered by non-sentience.

Post by **BASHMAN** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:38 pm

Here are some pre-made swarms straight from BASH! Fantasy: Legends of Steel (be on the look out for it). To convert to BASH! UE, I'd probably lower the damage to x2.

Insect Swarm
Far more dangerous than ordinary insects, this biting, stinging
cloud is capable of causing great destruction or even death. This
could be represent extremely aggressive bees, locusts, scarabs,
or similar pests.

B2 A3 M1
50 Hits/0 Soak 21 Attack 21 Defend
Powers:
• Dispersed: Ghost Form 1
• Cloud of Pain: Damage Aura 4 (x4 Dmg) [Enhance-
ments: Works w/ Ghost Form, Large Burst]
• Flight 1 (5 Squares)
Advantages: Fearless, Non-Sentience
21 pts

Piranha School
A large school of these ravenous river fish can skeletonize an
entire cow in minutes.
B2 A3 M1
50 Hits/0 Soak 21 Attack 21 Defend
Powers:
• Dispersed: Ghost Form 1
• Cloud of Bites: Damage Aura 4 (x4 Dmg)
[Enhancements: Works w/ Ghost Form, Small Burst]
• Aquatic 2 (6 Squares)
• Keen Senses 1 (x7 Smell)
Advantage: Non-Sentience
Disadvantage: Marine
21 pts

MrJupiter · Post by **MrJupiter** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 1:42 pm

Excellent spider swarm build, Baelor. I love the Spider-Man reference in the Danger Sense description.

BASHMAN, swarms for piranhas and insects. Also, you can bet that I'll be on the look-out for Legends of Steel (I really want to use it for the ground rules to run some traditional fantasy games - at least until the new BASH: Fantasy comes out).

Supertodd · Post by **Supertodd** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 7:07 pm

MrJupiter wrote:Also, you can bet that I'll be on the look-out for Legends of Steel (I really want to use it for the ground rules to run some traditional fantasy games - at least until the new BASH: Fantasy comes out).

So there's a BASH: Legends of Steel and a new BASH: Fantasy coming out? What's the difference?

Post by **BASHMAN** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 8:35 pm

So there's a BASH: Legends of Steel and a new BASH: Fantasy coming out? What's the difference? Question

Elves... and a lot of other things. LoS is a specific Sword & Sorcery (think Conan/Red Sonja) setting. It is humans only, very low magic.

BASH! Fantasy UE will have a lot more fantasy trappings of a lot more fantasy genres; but it doesn't come with a setting. Legends of Steel is set in the world of Erisa, with some very specific nations, plots, etc.

Baelor · Post by **Baelor** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 8:57 pm

Any notion of street dates for these BASHMAN?

Supertodd · Post by **Supertodd** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 9:00 pm

Here's what I've come up with for a rat swarm. Please let me know what should be changed.
Rat Swarm
B2 A3 M1
50 Hits/0 Soak 21 Attack 21 Defend
Powers:
• Dispersed: Ghost Form 1
• Swarm of Bites: Damage Aura 4 (x4 Dmg)
[Enhancements: Works w/ Ghost Form, Medium Burst]
• Keen Senses (x4 Smell)
Advantages: Non-Sentience

Deecely · Post by **Deecely** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:41 am

Would swarms be something a character with a decent enough Animal Mastery power could call forth, or would this be limited strictly to Summoning or a specific situation (character took knock-back into and through an apiary)?

What if you only wanted to call out a "swarm" of pigeons, or something else not directly offensive, to cause blindness in an area (Confusion, small burst)?

Post by **BASHMAN** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 11:27 am

That sounds like a Narrator's judgement to me, and whether or not they want to run the creatures as a "Swarm" or as just a bunch of minions.